Asian Games 2018: Why the win against Pakistan is just as important as the bronze medal
Roelant Oltmans wore a wry smile on his face as his chargers did just about everything right but failed to get past the Indian deep defence - when they did, the passes were just too long or too short to trouble Sreejesh in goal. Mubashar Ali failed to get going and was too predictable with his drag flicks - or perhaps, the Indian think-tank has outsmarted him after all.
It was a match which both sides had not planned to be part of and did not relish being part of as well, as is the case with bronze-medal matches so very often.
Yet, an India-Pakistan encounter has never ceased to be special irrespective of the prize on offer and it was no different at Jakarta as the Indians toiled hard but managed to stamp their dominance on an emerging Pakistan side.
The win is important also because of Pakistan's menacing record against India in knockout matches over the years.
Pakistan's ominous stranglehold over India in knockouts - on the wane finally?
The Indians beat Pakistan in the Bangkok Asian Games final of 1966 and had to wait until 2014 to repeat the feat at Incheon.
In the interim, they lost to Pakistan no less than five times in the summit clash, as a result of which the Indians have just three gold medals to their name in spite of dominating continental hockey. Arch-rivals Pakistan has won a record eight gold medals while South Korea has won four.
In the prestigious, and now defunct Champions Trophy, the Indians have lost to Pakistan in every single knockout match except for the bronze-medal encounter of 1982.
The Indians, lost the Champions Trophy bronze to Pakistan three times in succession in 2002, 2003, 2004, and yet again in 2012.
The Indians got the better of Pakistan in the final of the 2014 edition of the Asian Games, and also in the Asian Champions Trophy final in 2016, and with today's win, the scales seem to be tilting, slowly but surely.
Hard fought victory thanks to an early lead
Akashdeep Singh gave the Indians the all-important lead in the third minute of play with some assistance from Lalit, and apart from the opening goal, there was little to choose from between the two sides until the long breather.
Muhammad Atiq hit the post a minute later, and his teammates reckoned that the ball had crossed the line. While goalline technology is not available in hockey, it is significantly more difficult for a hockey ball to behave the way a football does, and more often than not the ball has to cross the line, if indeed it touches the line.
Yet, as early as the fourth minute, the Pakistanis decided to consult the video umpire - perhaps being stunned by the opening goal, and lost their referral in the process.
The Indians pressed hard in the opening minutes as they have done throughout the tournament, and the early goal seemed to have upset Oltmans' plans, as Rizwan Sr. and co. were unsure whether to defend in numbers or to press hard up front.
In the second quarter, however, the Pakistani strikers came vigorously to life, and the Indians will have to consider themselves a wee-bit fortunate that they managed to hold on to the lead in spite of some sustained pressure.
The Indians failed to earn a PC until the 50th minute but when they finally did, Harmanpreet struck a lethal blow and Imran Butt had no chance whatsoever.
Harendra's boys thought they had sealed the deal but a long aerial ball found Muhammad Atiq unmarked, and he had only Sreejesh to beat as the Indian defence was caught napping. The Indians survived the final onslaught from the Pakistan strikers and prevailed with a 2-1 margin.
A bronze medal was not what the Indians had come to Jakarta in search of, but with this win, they have redeemed themselves somewhat in the eyes of their fans and also have managed to maintain their winning streak over their arch-rivals.
The Indians have beaten their old rivals consistently since winning the Pahang Asian Champions of 2016, and have followed it up with wins in the HWL Semifinal and the Asia Cup last year, and the Champions Trophy this year. Pakistan managed to force a draw in the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast but have been winless since the tournament in Pahang.
The Pakistanis are catching up though, as the contests and the margins are getting closer than before, and the Indians will have to be at their best in next month's Asian Champions Trophy when both sides lock horns on October 20.
This article was covered by Sportskeeda's correspondent who traveled to the Asian Games as a part of the Tissot Hospitality Program. Tissot is the official timekeeper of the Asian Games!